Infusion Pump Total Insulin Load Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing infusion pump systems struggle to accurately account for the total insulin load (TIL) in a user's body, which includes both bolus and basal insulin deliveries that have not yet acted, leading to potential inaccuracies in blood glucose management.
Innovation Solution
The infusion pump system calculates a user's total insulin load (TIL) by accounting for bolus insulin load, basal insulin load, and previous food intake, providing an accurate indication of insulin that has not yet acted in the user's body. This information is displayed contemporaneously with blood glucose values, enabling informed decision-making.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the infusion pump tracks only bolus insulin deliveries, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of total insulin load is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The total insulin load measurement is segmented into two distinct components: bolus insulin deliveries and basal insulin deliveries. The system separately tracks each type of delivery and then combines them to provide a comprehensive TIL measurement. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high measurement precision without requiring a complete redesign of the tracking system, as each component can be implemented using existing pump capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The infusion pump's existing delivery tracking system is extended to serve multiple functions: it continues to track bolus deliveries while simultaneously tracking basal deliveries. By making the tracking system multi-functional, the system achieves accurate TIL measurement without adding separate dedicated hardware, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity.
2Loss of information
If the infusion pump displays only blood glucose values, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the information completeness for decision-making is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the display of blood glucose values with the display of total insulin load information into a single integrated user interface. This combination allows users to view both critical pieces of information simultaneously without needing to navigate multiple screens or interfaces, thus maintaining ease of operation while providing complete information for informed decision-making.
3Reliability
If the system does not account for basal insulin deliveries, then the calculation complexity is reduced, but the reliability of blood glucose management is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary tracking of basal insulin deliveries as they occur, maintaining a running total that is automatically available when needed for TIL calculation. This preliminary action ensures that basal insulin data is already prepared and organized before it needs to be combined with bolus data, reducing the complexity of the final calculation while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor and update both basal and bolus insulin delivery statuses. This feedback loop ensures that the TIL calculation always reflects the current state of insulin in the system, thereby improving the reliability of blood glucose management through accurate, real-time data.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of an infusion pump system can be used to determine a user's total insulin load (TIL) that provides an accurate indication of the insulin previously delivered to the user's body which has not yet acted. In particular embodiments, the TIL can account for both the bolus deliveries and the basal deliveries that have occurred over a period of time. Such information may be useful, for example, when the infusion pump is operated in conjunction with a continuous glucose monitoring device.